Unexpected
by DawnSumner000
Summary: Spencer isn't looking for love. Having just experienced the death of someone very close to him, he's only just begun to heal. Jessica is looking for a new start, a place to heal from the wounds left by a dark past. A twist of fate brings these two together when Jessica ends up moving into the same apartment building as Spencer. Can Spencer allow himself this happiness? Can Jessi
1. Chapter 1

Jessica wasn't sure she could do this. Standing just inside the walls of her new apartment, she felt that familiar churning bubbling of anxiety in the stomach. The apartment itself was nothing fancy. Four walls, some windows, some odd pieces of furniture collected from thrift shops in the week she'd been here were all that occupied the two room apartment.

Jessica didn't have a choice. She couldn't go back. She refused to turn tail and go crawling back to that place. She would rather die. Brushing loose strands of auburn hair from her face, she plucked her purse from off the side table. She had a job interview at two.

The door slammed shut behind her. Not honestly paying attention to where she was going, she bumped into someone on her way to the elevator. She glanced up, an apology playing on her lips. Hazel eyes briefly glimpsed at her, his lips set in a firm line of what was either disapproval or annoyance. She couldn't tell which.

"S-sorry."

He didn't offer a verbal response. He simply nodded and continued on his way. Good. Jessica wasn't in the mood for conversation anyway. When Jessica reached on the elevator, she began to dig in her purse for her phone. She needed to check the time.

She grasped the bottom of my empty purse, her mistake dawning on her. She uttered a simply curse before turning back. The man from earlier, the one she had bumped into, disappeared into his own apartment, two doors down from her own. Jessica made a mental note to introduce herself later on, when she had the time.

Jessica gripped the knob of her apartment. It didn't budge. The color drained from her face. Oh...god. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. She pushed more forcefully, thinking maybe it was just stuck. It wasn't. The door was locked.

"Shit!" She uttered in frustration. She dug around her purse, praying that she'd remembered to grab her keys. No such luck. Her anxiety now clawing at the center of her chest, Jessica did the only thing she could think to do. She kicked wildly, her foot connecting painfully with the wood.

"Ah, fuck!" She hollered, a bit too loud.

When she turned, she found herself staring into those now slightly bewildered eyes from before. He ran his tongue against his lower lips, fingers moving through his disheveled mop of brown hair.

"What?" Jessica snapped.

His eyebrows pulled together, confused at her hostility, "Nothing….sorry." He began to return to his own apartment.

Jessica sighed, "No, I'm-I'm sorry." She breathed, doing her best to push aside the bubbling anxiety, "I-I shouldn't have snapped at you like that." She pressed her forehead against the unbudging door, "I'm having a rough morning."

"I can see that." He spoke, his tone more amused now than before. "Do you need some help?"

"Well, unless you're some kind of magician that can unlock a fucking door, than I'm not sure there's much you can do."

She turned to face him. He wore...odd, somewhat nerdy clothes. A satchel hung around his chest, he took a step forward, "I can call you a locksmith."

"That would be great, thanks."

He pulled a somewhat outdated cell phone from his back pocket. His fingers paused, eyes flickering up to her face, "I-I don't actually know a locksmith."

Jessica waved off the apology. "It's-it's fine." She glanced down at her watch, "Shit."

"Something wrong?"

"I had a job interview at 2."

He glanced down at his own watch, "It's 2:05. I'm sure they'd understand…"

"Yeah, well, maybe if I had my goddamn phone-!" She turned, practically screeching that insult at her door, "-but, hey, it was a crap job."

"You-you swear a lot."

"Yep." Jessica popped her lips.

"Oh, hey!" He suddenly cried out. Jessica flinched. "I have a phonebook in my apartment. I'm sure there's a locksmith number in there somewhere."

Jessica furrowed her eyebrows. In the age of technology, who on earth still used a smartphone? Has he never heard of google? Jessica merely shrugged. Who was she to turn down a good Samaritan's offer of help? She followed the mysterious man to his door.

He popped inside his apartment for a brief second before reappearing, phone book in hand. "Here we are." She watched him flip through the book for a moment before finding what they were looking for. He handed her his phone, locksmith phone already dialed.

He was odd, that much was certain. After a few minutes of speaking to the man on the other end of the line, Jessica found her hopes of a new start dwindling. She hung up.

"Well, good news and bad news. Good news, this guy can help me."

"And what's the bad news?"

"He can't be here for three fucking hours."

The stranger winced. "Ouch."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Jessica handed the book and phone back to their rightful owner, "Now what the hell am I going to do for three hours?" She wasn't talking to him persay, mostly to herself.

"There's a coffee shop about a block from here." He offered.

Jessica's nose wrinkled. The last time she'd been to a coffee shop, it hadn't ended well. That was the last time she'd seen him….the man she had come to Virginia to forget.

"Or...not." He spoke, eyes dropping.

It dawned on her that he'd been asking her to go WITH him to this said coffee shop. Her cheeks heated. She wasn't the best at picking up on when guys were asking her out. She rarely dated these days.

"You...you were asking me to-" Jessica felt like smacking herself in the face.

"It's okay if you don't want to," He stumbled over the words, "I mean, I'm sure you have better things to do."

Jessica found herself smiling at the way he fidgeted with his nails. It was ...cute. "I actually don't have anything better to do." She extended her hand. "I'm Jessica."

He returned the greeting, "Spencer."

"Well, Spence. How about that coffee?"


	2. Chapter 2

Why did he ask her for coffee? Spencer spent the next fifteen minutes trying to figure that out. He was not in the best place, emotionally, at this point in his life. It was not the best time to be forging new friendships. Unfortunately, there was no way he could rescind the invitation without coming off like a jerk. So, he went along with it.

Once they'd both ordered their coffee, the pair sat down in a booth seated near the back of the restaurant. Spencer did not miss the way she insisted on facing the door, the way her eyes continually darted from his face to the rest of the cafe. Her nails were picked short, to the point Spencer was surprised they didn't cause her pain. If he had to guess, Spencer wouldn't be surprised to find out she chewed them.

"So, Spence." She spoke after a few moments, "I, ah, haven't seen you around the building."

Spence. No one called him that expect for J.J. And, now, Jessica. "My job keeps my pretty busy." Spencer offered, taking a sip of his coffee.

"What do you do?"

He froze. He wasn't sure if he wanted her to know that. Most people, they tended to react rather badly to the fact that he worked for the FBI. He took another sip of his coffee, "You first."

She fidgeted in her seat. She seemed reluctant, if not more so, to talk about what she did for a living. He couldn't picture her being involved with anything illegal. She tucked a strand of hair behind one ear.

Instead of answering the question, Jessica chose to redirect the conversation. "So, ah, nice weather today."

Spencer bit back a smile. "Hm. Quite humid for this time of year."

More silence. "This ...this is awkward, right?"

His smile broadened, "Totally awkward." He agreed.

"I suck at small talk." Her nose crinkled in a quite adorable fashion.

"I never managed to quite grasp the art of small talk, either." Spencer assured her, "It always just seemed so...pointless."

"I could not agree more. Like, who cares about the weather? I mean, now, if the sun were hurtling down towards the earth and we were facing a mass extinction, than I would care."

She was rambling. Being guilt of himself on more than one occasion, it didn't bother Spencer. He did find her sudden change in disposition alarming. She'd gone from foul mouth and fiery tempered woman to bubbly and charismatic at such an alarming rate, Spencer almost suffered from whiplash.

She must have seen the look on his face because her jaw immediately snapped shut. "I'm...I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"It doesn't bother me." He assured her, in case she was thinking it did, "I'm guilty of it myself."

The two fall into a rather easy back and forth panter. She slipped in a few curse words but, overall, Spencer found he was enjoying himself. Ever since Mauve's death, he'd found it hard to connect with anyone...especially with anyone knew. The other members of his team had done their best to comfort him but things just ...they just seemed different now.

Jessica reached for her coffee, only to send the cup flying. Hot coffee spilled across the table, right into Spencer's lap. He lurched from his seat but it was too late. He was now officially drenched in scalding liquid.

"Oh my god!" Jessica gasped, attempting to slosh up the liquid with towels. "I am so sorry!"

Spencer reached for a napkin to try and help clean up the mess. Jessica flinched. No, she did more than that. The petite redhead recoiled, as if expecting some kind of punishment for what had clearly been an accident.

"It-it's fine." Spencer spoke through gritted teeth. He was thankful that the coffee had time to cool, otherwise there probably would have been more serious injuries.

A waitress made her way over to their table, bringing reinforcements. "I've got this. Why don't you go get yourself cleaned up, honey."

Spencer bristled at being referred to as "honey." The waitress wasn't much older than himself. Then again, Spencer always did have a youthful appearance. The way he dressed didn't help..

He dipped into the men's room real quick. There wasn't much he could do there. He'd have to return to his apartment for a fresh change of clothing. When he reappeared, Jessica was gone. On their table, beside his phone and bag, was a note.

"Spence, the locksmith called. I'm headed back to my apartment."

The note was simple, to the point. No mention of if the two would meet again as it was fairly obvious they would. Afterall, she lived just down the hall from him. He shoved the note into his pocket, snagged his bag from beside his chair, and started to pay for their coffee.

"No need. Your friend already did that."

Spencer's eyebrow pinched. She'd paid for his coffee? He'd have to pay her back. When Spencer returned to his apartment, the locksmith had come and go. He hesitated in front of her door, trying to decide if he should knock or not. He didn't. He went inside his own apartment.

Four missed calls. Spencer grimaced. Apparently, Derek had called. Several times. While he'd been in the restroom. He called him back.

"Hey, player." Derek greeted, a slight teasing in his tone, "So, you wanna tell me why a girl is answering your phone?"

Spencer resisted the urge to smack himself in the face. Jessica had answered his phone? "She's….she's just a friend." Spencer lied. Well, it wasn't technically a lie. Or was it? Spencer didn't even know at that point.

"A friend, huh? She sounds cute."

Spencer could have pointed out that there was no scientific way Derek could tell that just from a phone conversation, that there was no direct correlation between a person's physical appearance and the sound of their voice. He didn't. He knew that, behind Derek's teasing, he meant well.

They'd each, in their own way, attempted to push him back into the dating pool. Spencer had resisted. He hadn't been ready. He still wasn't ready.

"Is, ah, is there something you wanted?" Spencer asked.

Chuckling, Derek told him that, despite it being his day off, Hotch needed him to come in. Another day, another case.


	3. Chapter 3

She couldn't sleep. It was a common occurrence these days, unfortunately. Her nights were filled with endless nightmares of the past she so desperately wished to escape from. Jessica didn't have any friends to confide it...except maybe her nerdy next door neighbor Spencer.

Jessica wasn't sure what to make of him. He was currently MIA. She hadn't seen him in two days, not since that mishap at the coffee shop. Oddly enough, that's where Jessica now worked. She'd gone back for coffee the next day, alone, and she'd seen a "help wanted" sign. It wasn't glamorous. But it was better than nothing.

Jessica heard a shuffling from just outside her apartment. Shifting the pain of muffins she'd just finished baking onto the counter top, she went over for a peak. It was Spencer. Heavy bags hung beneath his eyes, disheveled hair looking even more of a mess. She glanced at the clock that hung just to the left of her door. It was a little bit past midnight. What on earth was bringing him home this late?

Fiddling with his keys, he offered a glance in her direction. A ghost of a smile haunted his lips. Jessica knew that look all too well. It was a look she wore when she could hardly force herself out of bed in the mornings. Like her, Spencer had demons. That alone should've been enough to persuade Jessica that Spencer was no good for her. It did the opposite.

Her eyes shifted to the dozens of muffins that littered her countertop. If there was one thing in this life that she was good at, it was baking. She toyed with the idea of going over to his apartment, arms full of goodies. Would he appreciate such a late visit though? Probably not.

When morning finally broke, Jessica had only managed a few hours of restless sleep. She'd been up half the night, baking. Her kitchen was now littered with dozens and dozens of baked goods. In the back of her head. She glanced at her clock. It was barely six in the morning. Spencer would still be asleep.

She gathered some of the muffins and cupcakes, placed them in a rather large plastic container. She'd had the intent on simply placing them in front of his door but, as she stepped out into the hall, she found herself not alone.

A man, with skin the color of melted chocolate, stood in front of Spencer's door. Jessica hesitated, container of muffins clenched tightly against her chest. For a moment, she panicked. He knocked on Spencer's door.

"Come on, pretty boy. I know you're in there!" He called out.

When Spencer finally did come to the door, he looked even worse than the night before. His hair look as if he'd stuck his finger in a light socket, frizzy and unkempt. Jessica took a step back, intending on retreating back to the safety of her apartment. Too late. Spencer saw her. His eyes flickered from the stranger than back to her.

The man with honey for words turned. He lifted an eyebrow before turning back to Spencer. "Friend of yours?" There was definitely something going on between the two.

Spencer shot the man a look that said "back off" before redirecting his eyes towards Jessica. "Hey." He said, shifting rather awkwardly. His eyes dropped to the collection of baked goods, "Special occasion?"

Jessica shrugged, "N-not really." She ducked her head, tucking a loose strand of hair behind one ear, "I, uh, I couldn't sleep so…" Her words trailed off. Before she could lose her nerve, she offered the container of baked goods to Spencer, "I thought...I thought you might like some."

A faint smile tugged at his lips, his nimble fingers slowly taking the container from her, "Thanks."

It took Jessica a minute to realize the other guy was still there, watching this interaction between them with a shocked but somewhat pleased smirk plastered across his face. "Oh. Shit. I'm sorry I'm being rude." She offered her hand to the stranger, even though she really didn't want to, "I'm Jessica." She jutted a thumb to her door, "I just moved in across the hall."

He took her hand. "Derek Morgan."

"So, tell me, Derek. How do you know Spence?"

"We work-"

"We should, ah, probably get going, Derek." Spencer spoke without warning, interrupting the two of them, "We don't want to be late."

Derek's smile only widened, "Riiiight. Well, it was nice to meet you, Jessica."

"You to, Derek."

It was almost as if Spencer was intentionally keeping the two of them from talking. Was there something about his job that he didn't want Jessica to know? Spencer didn't bother going back into his apartment to place the container inside. He merely took it with him. She watched the pair until they made it to the staircase. Spencer turned. He offered her a wave and a smile. She returned said wave with one of her own.

She barely made it back inside her apartment before her phone began to chirp. Caller ID was unknown. She picked it up, "Hello?"

"Hello, Jessie." The voice on the other end of the line sent a chill of her spine.

"Jason. How...how did you get this number?"

"Oh, don't you worry your pretty little head about that."

"I don't want to talk to you." Jessica hung up the phone. It immediately began to ring again. Same number. She picked up, "Leave me alone!"

"We are made for each other, Jessie. I can't and won't leave without you."

Jessica hung up again. She flipped her phone over, snatched the battery from it. She then ripped the SIM card out and promptly tossed it down the garbage disposal. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

Jason was her ex. She'd been with him since her senior year of highschool, almost six years ago. He was older than her by two years. At first, things had been great. Then, things had changed. He'd grown possessive, controlling. He began to abuse her...physically, sexually, and emotionally. She'd finally found the courage to leave a year ago, after he'd been arrested for physically assaulting her in public. He was supposed to be in jail.

What would she do if he found her? Jessica had barely found the strength to leave the last time...she didn't think she could do it again. He'd kill her first.


	4. Chapter 4

Spencer expected more teasing on the ride from his apartment to the building where the two of them worked. Derek was surprisingly silent, not that he minded it. They had just finished up a case. What was so important that it would force the members of the BAU back into the office at such an early hour?

Not knowing what else to do with the offered container of deserts, Spencer carried them in with him. He did not miss the curious looks from the other members of the BAU as he and Derek walked in. Rossi was the first to speak.

"I didn't know you baked." He motioned towards the container.

"I don't." Spencer sighed. Here it comes.

"Pretty boy has a girlfriend." Derek announced.

"She's not my girlfriend, ok?" Spencer found himself snapping, "She's...she's just a friend. I think."

J.J lifted an eyebrow, "You're not sure?"

"We, ah, we just met."

Rossi snatched one of muffins from the container, sinking his teeth into it. His eyebrows lifted, "Well, whoever she is, she certainly knows her way around a kitchen."

Emily was the next to take a muffin. "Oh my god." She groaned, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

Hotch appeared. He regarded the muffins with a curious expression etched across his face before motioning that it was time to get started. Spencer snatched a muffin, one of the last, from the container before following the others.

"This one's a doozy." Garcia spoke.

This is why Spencer was hesitant to divulge just what it was he did for a living to Jessica. Despite their two brief conversations, he felt as if she was someone he could grow to care for. It was something he hadn't felt since Maeve. He didn't know what to do with those had been special, unique. With her, Spencer had envisioned a life away from the BAU. Marriage. Kids. The works.

When she'd been taken from him, Spencer was positive he'd never have those feelings for someone else again. The only one among them that could even begin to comprehend his loss was Hotch. He'd lost his own wife some years earlier to a serial killer. He and he alone knew that the loss Spencer experienced was not something he could simply "get over."

The gruesome images flashing across the screen turned the muffin in his stomach sour. The victims were all women, ranging in age. There seemed to be no common thread between them. One woman was hispanic with dark hair and dark eyes, another was caucasion with blond hair and green eyes.

They didn't need the jet for this one. This one took place in Alexandria, which was roughly a thirty five minute drive from their current location. Hotch gave them each their assignments. He and Rossi would go to the latest crime scene, to be if the local cops had missed anything. The meeting ended. He and Rossi piled into the dark SUV provided to them by the agency they worked for.

It was barely an hour's drive to where they were going. "So, this friend of yours…" Rossi began, "Tell me about her."

"There's not much to tell." Spencer admitted, "She's my neighbor. We had coffee. Once."

"Must have been one hell of a coffee."

Spencer couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips. "Her name is Jessica."

Rossi nodded, "And you like this girl?"

Spencer shrugged but didn't say anything, not at first anyway. More silence followed. "You should ask her out." Rossi suggested.

Spencer sighed, "it's…"

"-complicated." Rossi finished, head nodding slowly.

Rossi didn't push like the others did. He still wanted him to move on, to maybe meet someone new. But he wasn't as demanding as the others were. He also seemed to know when the conversation was over. Like now, for instance. Spencer didn't want to talk about Jessica...especially when they were investigating the murder of women so close to home.

The crime scene had become flocked with local media, the news of a possible serial killer in the area attracting them like moths to a flame. The Unsub had disposed of his latest victim in a high traffic area, not even bothering to cover up his crime. He wanted them found.

"Our Unsub certainly isn't shy." Rossi muttered, eyes sweeping over the area.

Spencer didn't comment. He agreed with Rossi. Whoever this unsub was, he did not mind the attention. In fact, it would appear that attention was his main motivation. Each victim was displayed in a high profile area of the city. Spencer had no doubt that this unsub would continue killing until he was caught.

The case was nothing but ordinary to him at that point. Another day, another murder. Spencer was beginning to once again question his involvement with the BAU. Each case was more draining than the last. This one proved to be no different.

They caught the unsub fairly quickly. Once news of FBI involvement reached the unsub, he grew sloppy. He had a personal involvement with the last victim. That's how they caught him. His name was Roger Daniels. He worked a menial job in construction and was no mastermind.

Before Spencer knew it, they had all returned to Quantico. It wasn't too late this time around. Maybe he'd manage to get a somewhat restful night's sleep. The rest of the team were preparing to go out for drinks.

Though offered the chance to go with, Spencer declined. He gathered his belongings, preparing to head home. Derek met him at the elevators.

"Hey, man, look. I'm sorry about earlier."

Spencer shrugged. "It's okay."

"You know I just want you to be happy, right?"

Spencer nodded. He knew that. It's what they all wanted for him. They entered the elevator together. The two were silent for a moment. Derek couldn't help himself.

"But, hey, she IS pretty cute. I mean, you could do worse. She's definitely in to you."

Spencer didn't say anything. The pair fell back into silence. Not having a car, Spencer got off the elevator at a different part of the building than Derek. He hopped onto the metro. Before long, he was climbing the stairs to his apartment. Once again, he hesitated in front of Jessica's door. This time, he knocked.


End file.
